Clamshell bucket



Dec. 16, 1952 Filed June 21, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 R. O. BILLINGS CLAMSHELL BUCKET.

ABY

VENToR. 2,27 @6i/yd HY'IN'YIS.

Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNI TE D" STA-TES TENT F FECE- CE'MSHELL BUCKET Roy- OBiIIingS, lt'lilwaukee,4 Wis.

Application- .lune 21, 1946, Serial No. 678,407'

Z-Glaims. 1*,

This invention? relates; to: improvements in clamshell buckets.

While the opening and closingcf' clamshell buckets has heretofore beencontrolled by' hydraulic mechanism', these devices as heretofore proposed, have required a substantial amount of headroom; In' most buckets of.' this type, the' hydraulic' ramv projects substantially vertically upwardly from the topfof" the bucket and there must berela'tivelyv long supportingarms connected to a head thereabo've. This type of construction requires too much headroom for use in unloading loose material from boxcars or for other work such as sewer work where spaces having limited height are encountered.

It is a general object of the.` present invention to provide an improved hydraulically operated clamshell bucket which is designed'for successful use in places where headroom is limited'.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bucket of the clamshell ty-pe having a. horizontally disposed ram and.` having a bucket supporting head, the saidram and head being so arranged as torequire a"V minimum of working height and being soarranged' and constructed that the bucket sectionsemay swing from open to closed position or vice-versa without requiring additional headroom during or after the change.

A further object ofr the invention is toprovide a bucket of the class described which is strong and durable, efficient in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purpose described.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved clamshell bucket, and all of its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating one complete embodiment of the preferred form of the invention, in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the improved bucket;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view showing the bucket in closed condition; and

Fig. 3 is a side elevational View showing the bucket in open condition.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the supporting head is designated generally by the numeral 5 and includes a transverse bar 6 having a Vhanger eye 'i projecting upwardly from a ypoint midway of the length thereof. A pair of diverging supporting arms 8 extends downwardly from each end of the bar tl. The upper ends o'thesupporting arms are preferably welded as at 9' to the low-er surface off the'i bar 6. For purposes of. strength the'arrnsy il? may'fbe formed of angular stock as is illustrated:

The` lower endsof the arms` on each side are rigidly connected by bolts Ill or any othe'rlsuita'ble means-to a link ll. It' isvto be noted that'v the arms 3 are relatively shortv and that'ea'ch; link il is formed of' heavy barstock so asN to be able to sup-port a'. relatively heavyfload.A

A pair of grapple members: l2`,.1"orrning the bucket proper, have their outer remote.-v upper corners, when the grapple. members' are closed; as in Fig. 2, provided'withzupstanding reinforced ears i3 on each'side ofi the.' bucket. Therei are, therefore',` twof' alined;- ears on each grapple; membei'. earf haszani inwardly projecting stud iii' extending through; an'. opening 55 the ad jacent. end' of one'o'i'. the bars ii. The grapple members are, therefore; pivotally mounted ont-he endsv of` thefbars" H'; for swinging movement from the position ofligf. 2t0.-^,the:position of Fig. 3;

Connecting; the oppositelydisposed ears le on each. grapple member isi a rod l and there; are preferably spacer sleeves It:V and il surround-ing portionsofi eachY rodA withinf the bucket'. The inner ends of the sleeves-terminateshort of" meeting to'prov'ide central gaps-lffor the receptionof bearingmembersi and2ii= These bearingmembers; IQ; and' 20 have openings through; which the rods li are journalled.

The bearing member i9 is rigidly connected to the outer end of the piston rod 2l of a hydraulic ram 22. The bearing member 2Q is rigidly connected to the outer end of the cylinder 23 of the hydraulic ram. By referring to Fig. 2 it is apparent that the hydraulic ram extends horizontally below the bar 6 of the supporting head. The ram is of the double acting type. When hydraulic iluid is pumped under pressure into the line 2-1, it will cause the piston 2l to be forcibly retracted, and will cause movement of the grapple members from the closed position of Fig. 2 to the open position of Fig. 3. When the direction of flow is reversed, and hydraulic fluid is forced under pressure into the line 25, then the grapple members are moved to the closed position of Fig. 2.

Removably connectable to the forward edge of the bottom of each grapple member I2 by nuts and bolts 26 is a toothed bar 2l. When the device is to be used for digging, the toothed members 2l are attached as is illustrated. However, if the bucket is to be used for purposes such as loading 3 and unloading of bulk material, the toothed plates 2l may be omitted. When they are detached, the grapple members close tightly.

In order to form stops for the closing movement of the grapple members, stop lugs 28, which are welded or otherwise secured to the bars Il, may be employed.

By comparing Figs. 2 and 3, it is clear that the axes of the rods I5 do not change appreciably in vertical position during opening or closing movement. Itis also clear that the distance which the bottom teeth project downwardly below the head is about the same in the closed position of Fig. 2 as in the open position of Fig. 3. Thus, both opening and closing movements may be effected while the bucket is in a location such as a freight car or sewer tunnel where limited head room is present.

It is thus apparent that substantially the same amount of headroom is needed whether in open position or closed position and that the arc of movement of the free edge of the grapple member from the position of Fig. 3 to the position of Fig. 2 is such that very little additional headroom is required when a grapple member is midway between the position of Fig. 3 and the position of Fig. 2.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated, as may come within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a clamshell bucket: a pair of elongated spaced generally horizontally extending links; a supporting head including a transverse bar spaced above said links and provided with a hanger eye, said head also including downwardly directed supporting bars rigidly connecting said transverse bar to intermediate portions of said links; a pair of grapple members, the upper outer corners of said grapple members being pivotally connected to the outer ends of said links, and the pivotal connections at corresponding ends of the links being coaxial; and a horizontally extending iiuid pressure operated ram pivotally connected at one end to one of said grapple members and pivotally connected at its other end to the other of said grapple members, the axes of the latter pivotal connections being spaced outwardly of and closely above the axes of the pivotal connections between the outer ends of the links and the grapple members and below said transverse bar,

- the ram being above and close to the plane of said links and below said transverse bar in all positicns of pivotal movement of the grapple members.

2. In a clamshell bucket: a pair of elongated, spaced, generally horizontally extending links; a supporting head including a, transverse bar spaced above said links and provided with a hanger eye. said head also including downwardly directed supporting bars rigidly connecting said transverse bar to intermediate portions of said links; a pair of bucket members, the upper outer corners of said bucket members being pivotally connected to the outer ends of said links, and the pivotal connections at corresponding ends of the links being coaxial; an upstanding ear formed on each bucket member and laterally outwardly offset from the ends of said links, said ears terminating above said links and below said transverse bar; and a horizontally extending uid pressure operated ram pivotally connected at one end to the ear of one of said bucket members and pivotally connected at its other end to the ear of the other of said bucket members, the axes of the latter pivotal connections being spaced closely above the axes of the pivotal connections between the outer ends of the links and the bucket members and below said transverse bar, the ram being above and close to the plane of said links and below said transverse bar in all positions of pivotal movement of the bucket members.

ROY O. BILLNGS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 468,652 Frith Feb. 9, 1892 539,921 Pay May 28, 1895 1,096,214 Andersen May 12, 1914 1,564,041 Windecker Dec. l, 1925 1,737,252 LeTourneau Nov. 26, 1929 2,136,890 Roberts Nov, 15, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 273,437 Germany May 1, 1914 277,014 Germany July 24, 1914 629,332 Germany Apr. 28, 1936 

